That plaque, already engraved with Saturday's date, was to be presented to Warriors coach Denny Douds in commemoration of his 200th coaching victory. But the Falcons spoiled the party and ensured that someone from ESU would be visiting the engraver this week by stunning the Warriors 9-7 on a field goal with two seconds left.

Bentley, which lost to East Stroudsburg by 55 points (72-17) a year ago, drove 79 yards in the final 1:53 to set up true freshman Tyler McNamara's 30-yard field goal. McNamara, who had his first collegiate kick (an extra point) blocked earlier in the quarter, squirted a low line drive just inside the right upright after the Warriors tried to ice him with a pair of timeouts.

"We were totally embarrassed last year; they were such a great team, their field-goal kicker and their punter intimidated us, they were that good," said Falcons coach Peter Yetten. "But I told them all week to believe they could do it -- believe, believe, believe -- and we're very happy to tiptoe out of here [with a win]."

Yetten's team was the Warriors' first victim in last year's 11-3 national semifinalists season, and despite returning just a handful of starters came into 2006 ranked as high as second in national preseason polls.

"What this did was clean the slate," Douds said. "It's not like, "Here comes the team from last year.' There is no last year. This is 2006, and these are the guys responsible for getting it done. No one else is going to do that."

Until those final two minutes it appeared that the defense, not ESU's high-powered offense, which has been responsible for so many of Douds' recent victories, would be the catalyst for one of his biggest.

Bentley, down by a point after a blocked extra point, had just 160 yards when it took over at its 8-yard-line with 1:53 left after a 31-yard coffin-corner punt by ESU sophomore Nick Krut. And Falcon quarterback John White had just 68 of those yards on nine completions.

"It was a defensive battle, and we knew it was going to be one play to swing the game," said ESU defensive end John Vetter.

That one play was a 22-yard pass from White, who completed six passes on the drive for 84 yards, across the middle to tight end Kevin Doherty on fourth-and-two from the Bentley 33. The two hooked up for 22 more yards on the next play to put the Falcons in field goal range at the Warrior 13.

"We can't let that happen," Vetter said of the fourth-down completion. "We have to get a stop there."

"The kids just came out and executed the two-minute offense," Yetten said.

The Falcons also shut down a somewhat conservative Warrior offense in the second half. Despite the miserable conditions, ESU had 182 yards in the first half, with Phillipsburg's Matt Brunetti (a transfer from Towson) running for 74 of his 92 yards. And All-American quarterback Jim Terwilliger had completed 10 of 20 attempts for 82 yards and the Warriors' only touchdown.

But after the break Terwilliger attempted just one pass and ESU's offense was held to 52 rushing yards on 18 attempts and two first downs.

"You can second-guess that," Douds said when asked of ESU's second-half play-calling. "We went out to try to win the game in the circumstances that presented themselves. One thing about the game, it's a game of all seasons how many hurricanes did we have this summer, and it has to show up today?"

But Douds refused to speculate how much the rainy, windy weather affected his offense.

"I'm not going to answer that, because every time I speak of the weather, everybody thinks I'm complaining," he said. "Both teams had to play in it, and we didn't get it done."

"The weather today was a probably a great equalizer, you know what I mean?" Yetten said. "The kid Terwilliger is a great athlete, and he'd be pretty tough on a dry day  but I think we'd be tough on a dry day too."

BOTTOM LINE: Bentley went 79 yards in the final 1:53 for a game-winning field goal, spoiling Denny Douds' bid for his 200th career victory.

SECOND QUARTER

ESU 7, BENTLEY 0 (2:59)

Joe Kircher 4 pass from Jimmy Terwilliger (Eric Peters kick).

The drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 3:17.

The keys: Matt Brunetti four carries for 31 yards, including 8 yards on a third-and-two followed by 16 on the next play to the Bentley 25, and Terwilliger completed four passes for 26 yards.

FOURTH QUARTER

ESU 7, BENTLEY 6 (13:33)

John White 25 run (Tyler McNamara kick blocked).

The drive: 4 plays, 45 yards, 2:22.

The keys: Jesse Peterson's recovery of Terwilliger fumble, and White's third-down keeper on an option, when he cut back through the grain and ran untouched into the end zone.

BENTLEY 9, ESU 7 (:02)

FG McNamara 30.

The drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 1:51.

The keys: White 6-of-9 for 84 yards, including back-to-back 22-yard passes to TE Kevin Doherty over the middle. The first converted a fourth-and-two at the Bentley 43, the second got the ball to the ESU 13 with 16 seconds left.